What is the absolute cheapest you can get with your weekly groceries?

bebemama · April 2010

I am going to try to get down to $80. Currently I spend anywhere from 60-160 depending on what I have done the week before or what I need. I am thinking about trying to just spend 80 each week. Is this possible?

Oh and this would be including paper products and cleaning stuff but not diapers and baby stuff.

ttimmerman · April 2010

I would love to see some answers to this too. I'm trying so hard to cut down on our weekly grocery bill, but it still averages around $150. I cut coupons from the Sunday paper, get coupons online, look for sales, but I can't seem to cut it more.

Stacyc625 · April 2010

I spend around 45 a week- with all fruits and veggies & dairy & replenishing stock pile items, paper/cleaning products. That being said- i can only do that amount with doing several things- I don't buy processed stuff- no frozen meals etc, I make a lot of my own sauces, I make my own bread. I have a veggie and herb garden, I have stockpiled basic necessities- (pasta, rices, canned veggies)- I always always meal plan before I go grocery shopping. I don't buy things like paper towels- I have bar mops that get washed weekly. I only buy meats when rock bottom prices- I have a deep freezer which i use for all of my meats.

tons of little things I have found to get me to where i am with my grocery bill. it took a lot of practice.

I coupon very efficiently as well.

TrinaKay · April 2010

$35 on average.

GeminA1 · April 2010

I am usually $300-$350/month.

We stock up on fruits and veggies from Produce Junction (super cheap....we usually don't spend more than $20 for a huge box of produce). I only buy meats on sale....I don't stockpile a ton, but we have a small fridge in the garage and I generally have that freezer filled. DH often buys a salad at work so I don't really buy him anything for lunch.

mandymack · April 2010

StacyC you always inspire me!

I spend on average $150 per week, which does not include toiletries, paper products, cleaning supplies, laundry supplies nor pet supplies; however, those items all together run less than $50 per month.

DH eats very few vegetables and hates beans so, it's difficult to have meatless meals and we don't have the yard space nor proper sunlight to have a garden.

I do; however, Meal Plan weekly around what is on sale in my local grocers' ad, clip coupons, stockpile when things are at rock-bottom pricing (I keep a price sheet so I always know when things are at rock-bottom prices!), shop my local Farmer's Markets any time their prices are lower for vegetables/fruits/herbs, make ALL my own sauces/pesto/buns/muffins/cookies/pizza crust/granola and numerous other things so that I can skip most of the inner grocery aisles, and buy in bulk at Costco when it's cheaper and fill my deep freezer outside every 3-4 months.

And I, too avoid all frozen pastas/TV dinners/pizzas!

I would really like to try to grow herbs INDOORS on my window sill, if possible... anyone have any tips for me?

Stacyc625 · April 2010

Mrs S ~ it took me a long time to get where i am with my grocery bill. lol- totally didn't happen overnight.

As for the herbs. SUPER SUPER easy. herbs are easy seeding plants. window sills are WONDERFUL for them- most herbs grow like weeds. So you will have plenty to share with neighbors/friends once you start. since they tend to over grow- watch how many seeds you use. My first attempt was Basil. since that is the herb i tend to use the most- My first year i had enough basil to happily feed Italy. It was insane. So just take caution- lol- you can always grow more. When i started i figured- ahh just one packet of seeds no biggie. HA- I had basil out the wazoo.

Now I do basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, parsley, tyme, ginger, oregano, dill, & sage.

you can either buy seedlings- or start from scratch with seeds-

if you start from scratch use a light weight potting soil- add hot water to the soil- add the seeds in a medium size pot (if you are going to separate your herbs) and i always found it nice to cluster my herbs on the kitchen island near light-

find a sunny area- morning sun is great for herbs. They are pretty darn easy. and the smells are amazing.

babypuplove · April 2010

I don't really spend the same amount each week, but it's probably about $150 on average. I try to do one big grocery trip each week, but always end up at the store several more times for a few items here and there during the week, and often hit the farmer's market as well. I have gotten back into couponing and am getting better at it, so we'll see how that helps as time goes on.

mandymack · April 2010

Stacyc625:
Mrs S ~ it took me a long time to get where i am with my grocery bill. lol- totally didn't happen overnight.

As for the herbs. SUPER SUPER easy. herbs are easy seeding plants. window sills are WONDERFUL for them- most herbs grow like weeds. So you will have plenty to share with neighbors/friends once you start. since they tend to over grow- watch how many seeds you use. My first attempt was Basil. since that is the herb i tend to use the most- My first year i had enough basil to happily feed Italy. It was insane. So just take caution- lol- you can always grow more. When i started i figured- ahh just one packet of seeds no biggie. HA- I had basil out the wazoo.

Now I do basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, parsley, tyme, ginger, oregano, dill, & sage.

you can either buy seedlings- or start from scratch with seeds-

if you start from scratch use a light weight potting soil- add hot water to the soil- add the seeds in a medium size pot (if you are going to separate your herbs) and i always found it nice to cluster my herbs on the kitchen island near light-

find a sunny area- morning sun is great for herbs. They are pretty darn easy. and the smells are amazing.

You are such an amazing friend, thank you so much!!!

Totally dumb but how many individual seeds should I plant, like 4-6, instead of a whole package of basil seeds? Clustering sounds great, I can get a larger box and set it near the window that gets morning sunlight, perfect!

Stacyc625 · April 2010

Totally NOT dumb- trust me when i first started I used the whole packet. thinking- pfffft.no biggie. lol. Depending on how much you use the herb- and how big your pot is- I would say a good 15-20 seeds to start will be a nice beginning. also you really don't have to worry about 'spacing' with herbs as much as say other flowering plants- so the whole 4-5 inches per seed doesn't really apply. At least I never bothered to worry about spacing. Herbs tend to grow really fast. Especially with good sun. so you can ALWAYS do more pretty fast. ~ basil actually tends to enjoy darkness too- so its a pretty mellow easy plant. Alot of herbs REALLY take off if you leave a light on at night if possible. Where I started my herbs (when they were little) I left them near my backsplash which is lighted underneath- and I would leave that on- really helped. If not possible- they will still grow really well indoors.

IfferMarie · April 2010

I want to start meal planning, but I struggle with it so much! I don't know how to efficiently shop for a weeks worth of meals. Or rather, planning meals that use similar foods in order to buy it all while using coupons, sales and such.

babybird7 · April 2010

The cheapest I can get mine is $75 but that includes organic milk, eggs and butter and toiletries and dog food. I don't think i can cut it much more than that.

Stacyc625 · April 2010

IfferMarie:
I want to start meal planning, but I struggle with it so much! I don't know how to efficiently shop for a weeks worth of meals. Or rather, planning meals that use similar foods in order to buy it all while using coupons, sales and such.

This is what i struggled with ALOT when I was first learning. A suggestion for you- sit down and start simple- think about what your family likes to eat. Make a list of normal routine ingredients for those dishes. Those are the things you want to 'price out' ~ comparison shopping is very important when trying to scale your grocery bill back. You cannot save on your bill- if you don't know what a good price is for say: canned veggies or a box of pasta. So shop around. After learning how to comparison shop and you start to KNOW what a good price is- stock up on those routine items especially if they have a long shelf life i.e non perishable. Ex: for me- my white lasagna is a staple dish. So I need lasagna noodles, fresh tomatoes, basil, milk, butter and flour. (I grow my own tomatoes and basil) so I know for this dinner: I need to have on hand lasagna noodles, milk, butter, and flour. I stock up on the lasagna noodles when I see a good sale- because I know a good price for the no bake lasagna noodles is .99. So when I see that price- I buy say 5-6 boxes and store them.

So with your list of say a good 10 routine meals (whatever that may be) make your ingredients list. comparision shop prices (try to price 2 groceries stores, and a target/walmart or similar 'chain superstore' if available) ~ then you want to start scouring the internet for coupons for your basic items. Match those items you have a coupon for with a sale. (takes practice). The 'goal' is to have those 'go to' items on hand in your house- that you pay the cheapest amount for. And stock up enough (not too much) until that item goes on sale again. As you get better at shopping sales and watching ads- you will find that most items 'rotate' on sale with a rotation of around every 4-6 weeks. Where I find a lot of people struggle the most is learning how to 'price' meat for meals. It is not easy. So seriously- talk to your butcher- i.e the guy behind the counter. Tell him- what you are doing. Ask him- so really, what is a good price for ground beef. (he will tell you that it depends on the % fat of meat- etc etc) however- pick a cut and learn the 'sweet price' (for my area 80/20 ground beef is around 1.60/lb-) So when you see 1.60/lb you stock up for a couple of weeks/# of meals etc. go home, repackage, date and freeze the meat. Same thing with the rest of your meats. Your goal is to not have to pay more than the 1.60/lb for the ground beef. (until the next sale and/or you run out of ground meat)

So when you 'master' grocery shopping- ideally you are in majority buying your fruits/veggies, dairy, and grains (hint the perimeter of your grocery store) and just adding to your items as they go on sale. Of course leaving room for ingredients for new menu ideas/recipes, etc.

you don't want to buy food to waste it- so its important to know what you have on hand and use the food you have to create dishes for your family. Allrecipes.com is a GREAT website. where you can plug in ingredients of what you have on hand.

twh2006 · April 2010

We have four kids. I usually spend around 125-150 a week. That also includes all cleaning supplies. But for a family of 6, 3 kids (16, 14, and 10) and two adults, and one baby. I think we're doing ok.

MrsRebecca · April 2010

Once we were able to do it on $50/week. It was horrible though and didn't last long so we decided to cut elsewhere in the budget. $75 is really the lowest we can go without feeling deprived.

hellopoppyseed · April 2010

Stacyc625:
Mrs S ~ it took me a long time to get where i am with my grocery bill. lol- totally didn't happen overnight.

As for the herbs. SUPER SUPER easy. herbs are easy seeding plants. window sills are WONDERFUL for them- most herbs grow like weeds. So you will have plenty to share with neighbors/friends once you start. since they tend to over grow- watch how many seeds you use. My first attempt was Basil. since that is the herb i tend to use the most- My first year i had enough basil to happily feed Italy. It was insane. So just take caution- lol- you can always grow more. When i started i figured- ahh just one packet of seeds no biggie. HA- I had basil out the wazoo.

Now I do basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, parsley, tyme, ginger, oregano, dill, & sage.

you can either buy seedlings- or start from scratch with seeds-

if you start from scratch use a light weight potting soil- add hot water to the soil- add the seeds in a medium size pot (if you are going to separate your herbs) and i always found it nice to cluster my herbs on the kitchen island near light-

find a sunny area- morning sun is great for herbs. They are pretty darn easy. and the smells are amazing.

Wow. I really can't wait to grow my own herbs now! As soon as we move I can get started.

safy · May 2010

Not including meats, I spend $25-$30/wk.

wheelsonthebus · May 2010

I've gotten mine down to $60 before, but I spend about $75 a week usually on average. This is a HUGE improvement for us from $100-150 a week. Meal planning helps A LOT.

LadyDelilah · May 2010

I think this post may save my marriage

Thanks ladies!

IfferMarie · May 2010

Stacyc625:

IfferMarie:
I want to start meal planning, but I struggle with it so much! I don't know how to efficiently shop for a weeks worth of meals. Or rather, planning meals that use similar foods in order to buy it all while using coupons, sales and such.

This is what i struggled with ALOT when I was first learning. A suggestion for you- sit down and start simple- think about what your family likes to eat. Make a list of normal routine ingredients for those dishes. Those are the things you want to 'price out' ~ comparison shopping is very important when trying to scale your grocery bill back. You cannot save on your bill- if you don't know what a good price is for say: canned veggies or a box of pasta. So shop around. After learning how to comparison shop and you start to KNOW what a good price is- stock up on those routine items especially if they have a long shelf life i.e non perishable. Ex: for me- my white lasagna is a staple dish. So I need lasagna noodles, fresh tomatoes, basil, milk, butter and flour. (I grow my own tomatoes and basil) so I know for this dinner: I need to have on hand lasagna noodles, milk, butter, and flour. I stock up on the lasagna noodles when I see a good sale- because I know a good price for the no bake lasagna noodles is .99. So when I see that price- I buy say 5-6 boxes and store them.

So with your list of say a good 10 routine meals (whatever that may be) make your ingredients list. comparision shop prices (try to price 2 groceries stores, and a target/walmart or similar 'chain superstore' if available) ~ then you want to start scouring the internet for coupons for your basic items. Match those items you have a coupon for with a sale. (takes practice). The 'goal' is to have those 'go to' items on hand in your house- that you pay the cheapest amount for. And stock up enough (not too much) until that item goes on sale again. As you get better at shopping sales and watching ads- you will find that most items 'rotate' on sale with a rotation of around every 4-6 weeks. Where I find a lot of people struggle the most is learning how to 'price' meat for meals. It is not easy. So seriously- talk to your butcher- i.e the guy behind the counter. Tell him- what you are doing. Ask him- so really, what is a good price for ground beef. (he will tell you that it depends on the % fat of meat- etc etc) however- pick a cut and learn the 'sweet price' (for my area 80/20 ground beef is around 1.60/lb-) So when you see 1.60/lb you stock up for a couple of weeks/# of meals etc. go home, repackage, date and freeze the meat. Same thing with the rest of your meats. Your goal is to not have to pay more than the 1.60/lb for the ground beef. (until the next sale and/or you run out of ground meat)

So when you 'master' grocery shopping- ideally you are in majority buying your fruits/veggies, dairy, and grains (hint the perimeter of your grocery store) and just adding to your items as they go on sale. Of course leaving room for ingredients for new menu ideas/recipes, etc.

you don't want to buy food to waste it- so its important to know what you have on hand and use the food you have to create dishes for your family. Allrecipes.com is a GREAT website. where you can plug in ingredients of what you have on hand.

Oh wow! I feel so overwhelmed! Haha. It is going to take a lot of work and I appreciate you taking the time to try and explain it to me. I have been trying to make healthier meals, and I HATE wasting food. That is why the whole shopping efficiently is such an issue for me. Hopefully I can get it down and really make a difference.

mama2many · May 2010

I used to spend $150-$200/wk for a family of six. Then, I took a couponing class, and have it down to about$80-$100. But, two of my girlfriends who took the same class apparently "got it" better than I did and are routinely saving 85-95% a week. (they often post their receipts on fb - $300 of groc for $8.75, etc.) I would totally suggest it.

What is the absolute cheapest you can get with your weekly groceries?

Re: What is the absolute cheapest you can get with your weekly groceries?

eclaire 9.10.06 diggy 6.2.11

eclaire 9.10.06 diggy 6.2.11

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